Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE VERSUS THE PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE 

352

Completed and punctual events

352a

The simple form of the present perfect can emphasise completion of an event when

used with verbs denoting actions or events:

Advertising agency FCB 

has carried out extensive research on how people in

short-term contracts feel about their jobs.

The progressive form is not normally used with punctual verbs such as start, stop,

finish

, which refer to actions that are completed at a single point in time:

My mobile phone 

has started working again.

(My mobile phone has been starting working again.)

Have you finished eating?

The progressive form is not used to refer to single, completed actions or punctual events:

Essex County Council 

has approved expenditure of £50,000 on the project this year.

(Essex County Council has been approving expenditure of £50,000 on the

project this year.)

616 | Past time

Cambridge Grammar of English

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Now the government 

has admitted it has been able to collect only half of the

taxes planned.